EverQuest II Behind the Scenes: Prestige Homes

[Isulith]

<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.everquest2.com/images/en/logos/EQII/EQII_Logo.png" width="350" /></p> <p>EverQuest II Behind the Scenes continues with Prestige Homes! Watch as Emily Taylor, Associate Producer, gives you a sneak peek at two upcoming Prestige Homes that will be offered this year in the EverQuest II marketplace.  Check out Storm Tower Isle, an evil themed island home, and preview the Secluded Sanctum, a romantic home zone themed after Sullon Zek's spire.  EverQuest II has a robust housing system that allows players to own multiple homes on each character, and list them for competitive ratings in the Housing Leader Boards.</p> <p>Check out our newest EQ2 YouTube video here: <a href="http://youtu.be/7hy0DwA0dmQ" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/7hy0DwA0dmQ</a>. Don't forget to check out other YouTube videos as well at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/eq2videos" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/eq2videos</a>!</p><p style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.everquest2.com/news/article?month=current&id=5101" target="_blank"><img src="http://everquest2.com/images/en/community/buttons/readmore.png" border="0" width="175" height="44" /></a></p>

[Keikoku]

<p>I like the looks of these houses.  I'm not big on decorating, but I do like these.  However, I think I'm more interested in that armor set at the end.</p>

[Suprchik407]

<p>Postives- I like new stuff, these new offerings look interesting, especially the evil island.</p><p>Negatives- dont like the multiple beds in the Sullen Zek house. Unless Im mistaken, the new home is only 2 rooms? An entryway then a room that leads to a huge bedroom?</p><p>Not sure how I can decorate that at all. Where would I put a buffet table for my dinner? Or put my horses? I guess its supposed to be a love nest only?</p><p>I dont know how lovey I would be with multiple beds in there, Id be quite jealous to see a bunch of other maidens there.</p><p>A waste of space otherwise. What would be cool? Remove the stationed beds and give us one in that style to place where we want (if we want it).</p><p>Witholding judgement until I see the new armor set fully, really hard to see it so tiny on screen there. But any new girly stuff is generally a plus with me.</p>

[Felshades]

<p>I didn't see much on an armor set, but I had my sound low.</p><p>Partition the beds off maybe?</p><p>That room is full of spiders and a drachnid boss normally.</p><p>Or... don't use it maybe? I could totally see setting up a djinn harem in there.</p>

[Iskandar]

<p>There's a great deal of vertical space below the entrance in the Secluded Sanctum, Fur -- depending on the item count, it has a lot of room for growth beneath that entrance area <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" /> You can tour it on Live atm, too -- if you hop over the edge, there's several small brackets you can land on, and if you fall to the bottom it will just zone you back up top. They're both very nicely done homes!</p><p>I imagine the Sanctum will be a lower item count home (since it's just two rooms, albiet two rather spacious ones)... I'd suggest adding steps on the outer edges to access the raised platform behind the three canopy beds -- this would cut down on item use, since people will undoubtedly want/need to build steps there just to get onto that back area.</p><p>I'd also suggest adding additional recipies to Brontis for Carpenters -- include a large-sized platform just like is found at the entrance. With all the vertical space in the chasm below the entrance platform, that would be a great place for builders to add additional floors, connected via teleporters. And since I imagine the item count will be more restricted, this would be a great place to use a good-sized Drunder-themed platform instead of dozens of tiles!</p><p>A few other ideas for Drunder decor to fill out that proposed recipie book would be hanging lanterns (as seen near the entrance in the Sanctum and over the larger canopied area), the dog-faced dark stone sconces, the curtains as found in Sullon's room (perhaps in pink, red, white, black, and other popular colors), pillow sets (individual and in clusters) as found in the Sanctum, the hanging veil (again, in pink, red, white, and other colors) as seen in the Sanctum, and mesh-style dividers as seen along the ramps in Drunder. I'm sure there's tons more, too -- that's just the main ones that come to mind offhand <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" /></p><p>As an alternative, if you add the pillow sets as a crafted item, you could introduce the house with the three canopied areas and <em>no</em> pillows -- just an empty floor area beneath each canopy. This would give players the option of placing what they want in each canopied area.</p><p>With the Storm Isle (which looks absolutely <strong>amazing</strong> btw! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" />), I'd suggest adding a recipie book with crafted building blocks in the brick style used in the tower and "stone bench" type items (like the three found in the Moors recipie books for Carpenters) using the dark stone texture of the Isle. A circular platform as used for the top floor would also be a great addition, giving players the option of adding extra floors as they see fit (again, without eating up a sizeable chunck of item count with tiles). The upcoming City Festival would be the perfect place to introduce a recipie book for this one!</p><p>Having an ingame accompanyment in the form of crafter recipies would be a <strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">great</span></em></strong> way to go with <strong>ANY</strong> of the Prestige Houses, really <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Calabeth]

<p>Joy even MORE SC stuff while our hard earned money goes to fluff like this instead of making eq2player.com an actual place to visit and not just talk about. Lets try getting stuff out to us that has been LOOOONG Overdue and already stated to be out and is not.</p><p>Yes I am aware they are 2 seperate teams. But really getting sick of more and more SC stuff to suck even more money while kicking us in the lower regions for things that have been promised for YEARS!!!! Then I might start enjoying the fluffier side of things.</p>

[Raienya]

<p>Positive-More houses!</p><p>Negative-More houses on the SC store. Smokejumper promised that there would be more housing available IN GAME, not via SC. So far, we have had a whopping ONE prestige house (the raid drop one), but multiple houses for SC.</p><p>Live up to your word for once, Smoke.</p>

[Aneova]

<p>I'm still waiting for the Oak tree in DLW to be a house <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Bhael]

<p>My feedback on the new homes...Well, lets see, I like the Storm Isle but the rain HAS to go. Otherwise any structure we make will be raining inside. Also, though I know it has to stay since it IS Storm TOWER Isle, the tower is really limiting the use of the space. A nice "dark" island like that is great but I'd like to put my own structure there. Unfortunately anything built there would be totally overshadowed by that tower. How about taking the tower out and giving us various towers from the game as placeables?  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Now that would be cool!Now the Secluded Sanctum. I like the space but again the things IN the space severely limit its use. Those beds, as beautiful as they are, make decorating that space difficult and limited. Take them out and give them to us as placeables. Also the hanging lamps in the front room... we have lamps, let us use them. Take those out and make them craftable. Having them there sets a theme for decoration that then becomes more difficult to stray from. Sure we can but then those lamps might look out of place depending on how we decorate.Come on guys, you have to know that the more restrictive the space the less it will sell.</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>Raienya wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Positive-More houses!</p><p>Negative-More houses on the SC store. Smokejumper promised that there would be more housing available IN GAME, not via SC. So far, we have had a whopping ONE prestige house (the raid drop one), but multiple houses for SC.</p><p>Live up to your word for once, Smoke.</p></blockquote><p>I agree with you about wanting a prestige house available for an in-game quest or other such in-game activity but not all prestige houses, aside from the Kromzek one, have been SC:</p><ul><li>There has been one prestige house given for Fan Faire 'platinum' one year.</li><li>There have been two prestige houses as part of the CE for expansions (Everfrost and Lavastorm).</li><li>There has been one prestige house given as a vet reward.</li><li>There have been five pristige houses given as a LoN loot card (Blades, and Magical Manors in Qeynos, Freeport, Halas, and Garowyn).</li></ul>

[TwistedFaith]

<p><span style="font-size: large;">Yay yet more SC stuff, what happened to non SC content, remember that?</span></p>

[Rainmare]

<p>I Think what he means though is a house that won't cost us real world money to get or that you don't ahve to wait 7 years for.</p><p>LoN costs extra money. in a sense it's no better then having it on SC.</p><p>Fan Faire house for the expensive 'platinum' ticket. real world money, no different then SC.</p><p>one house you have to wait 7 years for.</p><p>CE is usually 10-20 extra dollars to get that prestige home, so yeah, just like SC, your paying extra money for it.</p><p>I don't mind these options. but we were told that there would be homes available IN GAME. as in, not needing to buy anything extra to get them. and so far we know of only 1 out of the what? 10? 20 prestige homes? and it's a raid zone only drop...that to our knowledge has not dropped once yet on any server.</p><p>I want a DECENT looking prestige home that I can get via questing or factioning in game. meaning if they add one I want it to be more then a 5 room Qeynos house with no rent/status upkeep.</p><p>like for example, take the zone for Unrest. close off the basement, but keep the entire rest of the zone. make it a prestige home you need to do a long questline and have a certain amount of city faction(s) to earn, and put the door for it in Qeynos/Freeport. call it the Grand Qeynosian/Freeportian Estate.</p>

[snarlycarly]

<p><cite>Iskandar wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd also suggest adding additional recipies to Brontis for Carpenters -- include a large-sized platform just like is found at the entrance. With all the vertical space in the chasm below the entrance platform, that would be a great place for builders to add additional floors, connected via teleporters. And since I imagine the item count will be more restricted, this would be a great place to use a good-sized Drunder-themed platform instead of dozens of tiles!</p><p>A few other ideas for Drunder decor to fill out that proposed recipie book would be hanging lanterns (as seen near the entrance in the Sanctum and over the larger canopied area), the dog-faced dark stone sconces, the curtains as found in Sullon's room (perhaps in pink, red, white, black, and other popular colors), pillow sets (individual and in clusters) as found in the Sanctum, the hanging veil (again, in pink, red, white, and other colors) as seen in the Sanctum, and mesh-style dividers as seen along the ramps in Drunder. I'm sure there's tons more, too -- that's just the main ones that come to mind offhand <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" /></p><p>As an alternative, if you add the pillow sets as a crafted item, you could introduce the house with the three canopied areas and <em>no</em> pillows -- just an empty floor area beneath each canopy. This would give players the option of placing what they want in each canopied area.</p><p>With the Storm Isle (which looks absolutely <strong>amazing</strong> btw! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" />), I'd suggest adding a recipie book with crafted building blocks in the brick style used in the tower and "stone bench" type items (like the three found in the Moors recipie books for Carpenters) using the dark stone texture of the Isle. A circular platform as used for the top floor would also be a great addition, giving players the option of adding extra floors as they see fit (again, without eating up a sizeable chunck of item count with tiles). The upcoming City Festival would be the perfect place to introduce a recipie book for this one!</p><p>Having an ingame accompanyment in the form of crafter recipies would be a <strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">great</span></em></strong> way to go with <strong>ANY</strong> of the Prestige Houses, really <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>What he said <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" />      I also want to say I like the new island including the rain!</p>

[S_M_I_T_E]

<p><cite>Bhael@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My feedback on the new homes...<span style="color: #ff00ff;">Well, lets see, I like the Storm Isle but the rain HAS to go</span>. Otherwise any structure we make will be raining inside. Also, though I know it has to stay since it IS Storm TOWER Isle, the tower is really limiting the use of the space. A nice "dark" island like that is great but I'd like to put my own structure there. Unfortunately anything built there would be totally overshadowed by that tower. How about taking the tower out and giving us various towers from the game as placeables?  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> Now that would be cool!</p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff00ff;">The rain is the most attractive point to me.  It has to stay.</span> </p><p>Perhaps they can have an environmental toggle zonewide to cater to people like you who like it minus the rain and people like me who wouldn't mind even heavier rain?</p>

[crackers_87]

<p>The houses look good ! But it would be nice if you would take the time to fix the EoW HM 2 handers  with only 41  Crit Chance!</p><p>Not making new homes!</p>

[crackers_87]

<p>Duel post</p>

[Iskandar]

<p><cite>Crankers@Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The houses look good ! But it would be nice if you would take the time to fix the EoW HM 2 handers  with only 41  Crit Chance!</p><p>Not making new homes!</p></blockquote><p>Is there a graphical defect with the weapon? A missing or misaligned texture, or perhaps a broken polygonal component? Is it not wieled correctly by specific race or gender models? Is the particle effect innapropriate? Are the art assets not loading correctly?</p><p>You appear to be directing your ire at the graphic artists employed in the <strong>Art</strong> Department, after all, so I can only assume that something is wrong with the artwork. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Griffildur]

<p>The houses look amazing.</p><p>Now, with all due respect ,</p><p>1. can you bloody fix the bugs that have been hanging around for years ?</p><p>2. Can you let us know about this prosieben move ?</p><p>There are far more important things than this fluff thing ...</p>

[Bhael]

<p><cite>S_M_I_T_E wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Bhael@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My feedback on the new homes...<span style="color: #ff00ff;">Well, lets see, I like the Storm Isle but the rain HAS to go</span>. Otherwise any structure we make will be raining inside. Also, though I know it has to stay since it IS Storm TOWER Isle, the tower is really limiting the use of the space. A nice "dark" island like that is great but I'd like to put my own structure there. Unfortunately anything built there would be totally overshadowed by that tower. How about taking the tower out and giving us various towers from the game as placeables?  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> Now that would be cool!</p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff00ff;">The rain is the most attractive point to me.  It has to stay.</span> </p><p>Perhaps they can have an environmental toggle zonewide to cater to people like you who like it minus the rain and people like me who wouldn't mind even heavier rain?</p></blockquote><p>An environment toggle would help (but won't EVER happen) but really doesn't solve the problem the rain causes. If you build a structure do you want it raining in it? Becuase thats what the rain will do. The ONLY place that won't get rain in this zone is IN the tower. That pretty much makes the idea of building ANY structure here a fail. Take a look at the Tenebrous house, it is the most similar in design and purpose. A large open area to build something on. Pretty much everything made in that home would fail here because of the rain. They all have built structures that would have rain INSIDE of them. Unless THATS your concept it would ruin your house. I really don't see this prestige home selling much because of this. Sure you'll get a few people that will want to make their pirate cove type of place. Or use the tower to make their evil tower. But thats it. Other than that no one is going to buy this thing. Its useless with the rain. I understand the idea of having a stormy island is all creepy and cool, but practically speaking for any kind of serious structure building its no good. This zone has one one use and thats it, the pirate cove/evil tower. And that will get old fast.</p>

[Iskandar]

<p>They could also expand the "no-rain" area to include the entire main isle, increasing the visibility of the rain "offshore" so it still has the stormy isle feel. Sort of like when you're standing in a dry field/parking lot/wherever and see the "wall of rain" approaching you as a heavy storm moves your way.</p>

[gourdon]

<p>They need to offer the storm island as a map for dungeon maker.</p>

[Cyliena]

<p>While I really dislike rain, I have to giggle at people asking for no rain on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Storm</strong></span> Isle. It may be more appropriate to ask whether or not a non-rainy variation of that house will be available in the future. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Sunny Isle, anyone? <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Raienya]

<p><cite>Rainmare@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I Think what he means though is a house that won't cost us real world money to get or that you don't ahve to wait 7 years for.</p><p>LoN costs extra money. in a sense it's no better then having it on SC.</p><p>Fan Faire house for the expensive 'platinum' ticket. real world money, no different then SC.</p><p>one house you have to wait 7 years for.</p><p>CE is usually 10-20 extra dollars to get that prestige home, so yeah, just like SC, your paying extra money for it.</p><p>I don't mind these options. but we were told that there would be homes available IN GAME. as in, not needing to buy anything extra to get them. and so far we know of only 1 out of the what? 10? 20 prestige homes? and it's a raid zone only drop...that to our knowledge has not dropped once yet on any server.</p><p>I want a DECENT looking prestige home that I can get via questing or factioning in game. meaning if they add one I want it to be more then a 5 room Qeynos house with no rent/status upkeep.</p><p>like for example, take the zone for Unrest. close off the basement, but keep the entire rest of the zone. make it a prestige home you need to do a long questline and have a certain amount of city faction(s) to earn, and put the door for it in Qeynos/Freeport. call it the Grand Qeynosian/Freeportian Estate.</p></blockquote><p>This is exactly what I meant to say. AVAILABLE IN GAME, not by spending rl $ or SC. We were told that more would be available IN GAME. Give us a nice, long, lore-rich quest for a house. Maybe even make the quest racial, so that each race would have their own Prestige Home.</p><p>As for the Unrest home, it "is" in game on the SC store, without the basement or all the floors. It is nice, but I was really hoping for the full house (basement, all floors, plus outside). They could have made the zone in at the entrance just like in the game, would have been great.</p>

[feldon30]

<p><cite>Cyliena wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>While I really dislike rain, I have to giggle at people asking for no rain on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Storm</strong></span> Isle. It may be more appropriate to ask whether or not a non-rainy variation of that house will be available in the future. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /> Sunny Isle, anyone? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think the request to have it rain on the periphery, but not in the center of the island itself, is reasonable.</p><p>Right now, any building or structure will have rain inside.</p><p>I guess they could add a box of floor tiles that are in a moving crate when you buy the house which stop/clip rain. Make them invisible from the bottom or sides. So if people want parts of the island rain-free, they can just hover anti-rain tiles as big, and as high, and as large as they want without spoiling the view.</p>

[Cyliena]

<p><cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Cyliena wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>While I really dislike rain, I have to giggle at people asking for no rain on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Storm</strong></span> Isle. It may be more appropriate to ask whether or not a non-rainy variation of that house will be available in the future. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /> Sunny Isle, anyone? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think the request to have it rain on the periphery, but not in the center of the island itself, is reasonable.</p><p>Right now, any building or structure will have rain inside.</p><p>I guess they could add a box of floor tiles that are in a moving crate when you buy the house which stop/clip rain. Make them invisible from the bottom or sides. So if people want parts of the island rain-free, they can just hover anti-rain tiles as big, and as high, and as large as they want without spoiling the view.</p></blockquote><p>Make a building with no roof, give it a watery floor. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Really though, how often does rain avoid land and only rain over bodies of water? I understand the intent behind the request, but frankly people looking for a free-building spot without the rain should get the Tenebrous Isle for now. /shrug</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>gourdon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They need to offer the storm island as a map for dungeon maker.</p></blockquote><p>It would be cool to have all (or most of) the prestige houses available as dungeon maker maps, even if they were maps you had to buy from SC.</p>

[Iskandar]

<p><cite>Rijacki wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>gourdon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>They need to offer the storm island as a map for dungeon maker.</p></blockquote><p>It would be cool to have all (or most of) the prestige houses available as dungeon maker maps, even if they were maps you had to buy from SC.</p></blockquote><p>A guildie of mine had a similar idea last night -- he was hoping they'd add the guild halls as Dungeon Maker maps, and allow us to populate it with player-character race mobs. Then we could play the role of monsters invading our own guild halls! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" /></p>

[S_M_I_T_E]

<p><cite>Bhael@Oasis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>...</cite>use the tower to make their evil tower.....</p></blockquote><p>That's what I had in mind actually.  Open space is to decorating and design just as the sequences of silence are part of what defines a particular musical idea.</p><p>I think that Feldon is on to something though with the invisible rain-stopper ceiling tiles for people who really want to pack-rat their island with custom closed spaces.</p><p>I still am for rain ON the island though.  I wouldnt' even mind random 2-3x a min lightning strikes to the top of the tower if it was able to be rendered realistically enough.</p>

[Lazzdar]

<p>I absolutely LOVE the island. In fact I'm the proud owner of one now.</p><p>BUT...what I would love to see are guild halls with these themes. We now have a good selection of prestige homes, we could use, for instance, a guild hall with the Lavastorm theme or something. Themes that cater to specific guild types, such as evil guilds, etc.</p>

[S_M_I_T_E]

<p>For the record, not ALL structures you make will have rain inside them...</p><p>The [crude stone bench] stops the rain where it overhangs....  I'm sure there are others.</p><p>I love this island, don't dream of turning off the rain...</p>

[Felshades]

<p><cite>Cyliena wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>feldon30 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Cyliena wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>While I really dislike rain, I have to giggle at people asking for no rain on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Storm</strong></span> Isle. It may be more appropriate to ask whether or not a non-rainy variation of that house will be available in the future. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /> Sunny Isle, anyone? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think the request to have it rain on the periphery, but not in the center of the island itself, is reasonable.</p><p>Right now, any building or structure will have rain inside.</p><p>I guess they could add a box of floor tiles that are in a moving crate when you buy the house which stop/clip rain. Make them invisible from the bottom or sides. So if people want parts of the island rain-free, they can just hover anti-rain tiles as big, and as high, and as large as they want without spoiling the view.</p></blockquote><p>Make a building with no roof, give it a watery floor. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Really though, how often does rain avoid land and only rain over bodies of water? I understand the intent behind the request, but frankly people looking for a free-building spot without the rain should get the Tenebrous Isle for now. /shrug</p></blockquote><p>I once had it rain across the street but not on my grandmother's property. And it was coming down in sheets over there.</p><p>That said, there *is* apparently a prestige home available in game that isn't paid for with cash or a vet reward. I don't think anyone actually has it though. The kromzek hall.</p>

[VikodiN]

<p><span style="color: #00ffff;">They look great ... I got too many houses to decorate, lol.</span></p>